Brave Soul
by Hanariel
Summary: At Aragorn's request, Legolas travels to the northlands to discover what he can about a new threat to ME and finds an unknown group of elves in danger. PLZ R&R! I'm desparate!
1. Chapter 1

Disclaimer: I wish I own Legolas and Aragorn but I'm just a poor little student. I have nothing. :(

Please please don't be mean to your reviews! It hurts my feelings and I will try to do my best during this story. Thanx

As night rolled in Aragorn rode through the forests of Gondor and was glad to be away from his city and his responsibilitys since he never liked it in the first place. Arwen was no help since she tended to get cranky since she was pregnant AGAIN. Aragorn remembered when he was called "Strider" and the way he would fight orcs and protect the innocent. He missed it. Perhaps he should just disappear into the forest and never return. There he could go back to just being Strider and not Aragorn the King. Spirring Rego ahead, Aragorn burst forward like a mighty and untamed wind. Yes, he would leave Gondor forever...

Suddenly an elf appeared out of nowhere as elves tend to do and blocked his path. "Where are you going, mellon?"

"Nowhere."

"Come on! A king riding away into the night with no escort? You aren't running away, are you?" The elf's sea-blue eyes narrowed at his friend. "Tell me about it."

"Arwen is pregnant again, Legolas."

"And?"

"I'm tired of hearing small feet running around at night, mellon. I'm sick of having them climb into bed with me and Arwen. And we already have three!! Now we'll have four or perhaps more since I am unlucky like that."

"Your just having a bad night, mellon." Legolas said sympathetically.

"Maybe your right." Aragorn sighed. "But Arwen is acting like she hates me! You should have seen us this afternoon. Arwen and I were in the bathroom and I said, 'You look beautiful today." And she said, 'Don't I looke beautiful EVERY DAY?' And then she stormed off crying. What did I say?"

Laughing Legolas said, "She's pregnant, Aragorn. Give her a break."

"Why shouldn't I leave right now and go back to being Stider? I tire of being king."

Serious now, the elf frowned. "You shouldn't because you are a better person than that. Your wife needs you and your other three childern will need you. That baby growing inside her belly needs you."

Aragorn softened. "I know."

"You are a great king and an even better husband."

"Alright." The king laughed. "I'll go back." His eyes sparkled as he thought of Arwen even though he was mad at her.

"You know, I have an idea." said Legolas. "You can go back but then we'll leave on a vacation to Rohan or Rivendell."

Agreeing with his elven pal, Aragorn nodded and smiled. "We should do that."

The two rode off towards Minas Tirith, glad to have each other. It took only a few hours to return and Aragorn was in a much better mood and hoped that Arwen was too. As he and Legolas entered the throne room, his elven princess came rushing into the room, tearing running down her face.

"Where have you been, my love?" she yelled. "I thought you had left me alone to bare this burden. How dare you do this? I missed you so! Why do you torment me so? Why must your eyes be so blue and make me forget my anger?" She laughed and jumped into his arms.

"Careful, Arwen. Don't hurt yourself. I'm sorry. What I did was wrong." Aragorn kissed her passionately.

"I forget thee!" And then the queen turned to Legolas and smiled. "Thank you for bringing him back, Legolas!"

"My pleasure."

Aragorn mock glared at his friend. "Been speaking with my wife behind my back, eh?"

"I don't have one of my own so..." Legolas stopped with Aragorn playfully snacked him.

"Maybe you should get one."

"No, mellon. I don't think so."

"Alright, Legolas."

"Let's go eat dinner!" said Arwen happily because she was having cravings. Aragorn took her arm and they went away laughing. Legolas stayed behind, smiling at their backs. He was glad that his friend was so happy with Arwen. As he thought, a small hand tugged on his pants. Smiling, he looked down and saw Aragorn and Arwen's middle child Nieniel. "What are you up to, my child?"

Giggling the girl answered, "I am playing with my brother but I can't find him!"

Eyes shining, Legolas laughed. "I'm sure he's hiding on purpose. I'll help you look for him. It is time to eat anyway."

The child took his hand and they walked through the room together. Legolas felt a twinge of envy towards Aragorn for having such great children but brushed it off when the girl began to chat about how she had play-fought and won against her older brother.

"This is my family here," he thought.


	2. Chapter 2

Disclaimer: C first chapter :)

"ARAGORN! KING ARAGORN!" a guard yelled as he came running into the throne room. "Rivendell has been attacked by orcs!"

Aragorn's eyes widened. "NO! It cannot be. All orcs were killed when Sauron fell." Arwen gasped and clutched his arm.

"I tell thee it is so, sir. Orcs have attacked. I didn't believe it either until I saw the helmet." He threw a crude black metal object onto the floor where it rolled against the marble. It was indeed an orcs helmet.

"Oh no." Eyes shut, Aragorn groaned. Not this, not now. Things had been going so well.

"Reports say that a new threat has emerged from the east: a wizard called Olmhil. He has gathered the orcs together and now plans to make war on Middle Earth!" the guard cried.

"Easy Volne, easy." Aragorn sighed. "I shall send someone out immediately."

"What about ada? What about my father?" Arwen screeched. She fainted, tired by this news, and would have hit the floor had Legolas not caught her.

"He'll be fine, m'lady." Legolas promised. "I shall go and make sure."

"Yes, go Legolas. Seek out this murderer. Save Lord Elrond if you must." Aragorn did not want to let his friend go.

"I shall ride out on Arod and do this. For the Lady Arwen at least," he said with a smile.

"Good luck, my friend. Namaarie."

And so Legolas went immediately forth, accompanied by no one. After days of travel he reached Rivendell and found that Lord Elrond was ok but that orcs were heading up north towards Mirkwood, his own home. Legolas set off for there. In Mirkwood he spoke to his father who told him that Mirkwood could protect itself. The wizard Olmhil was no fool and didn't attack there. Instead he sent orcs to the mysterious northlands. Thranduil ordered his son to go there and report back to both himself King Aragorn. (A/N: Sorry about the quickness here. Just use your imagination)

Twelve weeks later, a weary Legolas arrived in the mysterious northlands. Nothing was known about this place except that a magical city was once rumored to exist in the barren hills. It had once been a place of beauty but was corrupted by evill and turned brown and hideous. Of course this was unknown to be true. No one knew what was there. Now Legolas was going to find out.

The lands were brown and ragged just as the tale predicted. No birds sang and no living beings were seen, only wargs. Arod ran light and swift while his rider tirelessly pushed on. No orcs here, he thought. What is this devilry? Perhaps the guard of Minas Tirith was wrong."

That night he camped in a small hollow of land. This would be his last night in this place, he thought. However fate intervined and a strong winter storm blew over and froze the lands even more. Arod was nearly frozen stiff and Legolas used elven magic to warm him.

"We've got to find shelter, Arod," he told the horse. "Let's go."

Together they blindly went through the storm, hoping to run into some trees or other shelter. It was like a white blanket had swallowed them up and Legolas lost track of where he was. Death would take them soon, he knew. If only he could find a shelter...


	3. Chapter 3

Sorry if I've been going to fast!! I will slow down I promise! Just give me a chance, ok?

The storm eventually died out. Legolas and Arod lay stranded in a pile of snow, shivering and tired. The wind frosted their noses and cracked the lips of the elf. It didn't matter that Legolas was an elf because this was no normal storm, no it was a storm of such force that even the elves could feel its chill.

"Up, mellon," Legolas told Arod. "Let's go."

But it took Arod a few minutes to get onto his feet. Legolas didn't have the heart to ride him so he led him on through the snow, praying that this was the way they had came. Everything looked so similar, all snowy and and horrid. It took him a while to definitely admit it but Legolas knew they were utterly lost.

"Arod, we're not doing so well," he told the horse. "We've got to get out of here but I don't know if we are going farther into the northlands or back towards Mirkwood. The feeling in my gut says that we are going the wrong way but perhaps we shouldn't turn back. Then if I'm wrong we'd be in even more trouble."

Hours passed. Then a day. Then three. A week. Legolas knew he was doomed and finally he lay down to die while Arod sank into the snow. Poor horse, he thought. If only he was strong enough to find his way back home without me. Unconsciousness overtook the elf and his death approached.

The scream of a woman awoke him. "What is this?" he muttered sleepily. "A woman? Out there? Perhaps she knows the way out of this cursed place. At least I'll have a new travelling companion." Lifting his tired body out, Legolas dragged Arod forward in the direction of the screams. "I'm coming," he thought. "I am coming."

It took a while but Legolas finally found the source of the scream: a group of strange orcs dressed in furs and white metal were terrorizing a young woman near a lone bare tree that stuck out admist the landscape. Apparently the woman had been captured and the orcs were preparing to torture or rape her. Legolas couldn't let this happen and, tired as he was, he left Arod and jerked out his knives before creeping behind a near by snow pile.

The woman glared steadfast at her captors, her leaf-green eyes sparkling against the cold and brown atmosphere.

"Tell us where your city is, elf or else we'll tare you limb from limb."

The woman didn't speak. An orc slapped her across the cheek and a spot on her cheek turned dark.

"I'l give you one last chance, elf!"

No answer. The head orc heads towards her and pulls down her pants.

That was enough for Legolas. He jumped forward with a great yell and attacked the orcs. They were strange and fought well but in the end he was about to defeat them. The leader was the hardest of all since he weilded a great mace and swung it around Legolas. Legolas ducked and swings his own swords hard in the beasts direction but didn't cut him. The orc skapped Legolas and the elf yelled. The woman screamed in terror, thinking that her rescuer was about to die and leapt up off the ground with a feril howl. Pulling a sharp dagger out of her pant, she crept up behind the orc and stabbed him in the nape, killing him instantly. "Die, you slime!" she yelled.

Legolas lay wounded on the ground. She saw this and bent over him, thinking that she could not help him but something inside her told her that she should help this man who rescued her from certain deaths. Seeing Arod nearby she whistled and the horse came over. Lifting Legolas onto the horse's back she lead them through the snow and into the icy craigs of the nearby mountains.


	4. Chapter 4

When Legolas woke up, he found that he was laying out in the wilderness on a warm woolen blanket. A fire had been built beside him and Arod grazed peacefully nearby. Where was he?

"Good. Your awake." said a cold and piercing voice.

Surprised Legolas sat up with a start, hurting himself. "Who are you?" he asked. And he recognized the girl he had rescued from the orcs. "Who are you, m'lady?"

Cooly she replied, "I might ask who you are, mellon. This is my territory and I've never seen anyone like you around. Speak quickly!! You aren't with the snow orcs, aren't you?"

"Snow orcs?"

"Yes, snow orcs. They are made by a great wizard from the very northmost pole and threaten my lands."

"What lands are those?"

Laughing she said, "What, are you lost?"

Legolas frowned. He didn't like this girl. "Yes. I came to check out rumors of orcs and I guess I found them. But I have no clue where I am." He lay back down on his blanket exhausted.

Relenting the girl sighed and said, "You are in the land of Staariel, land of the Snow Elves."

Grinning softly Legolas replied, "There are no snow elves."

"You saw the snow orcs! They are meant to challenge the snow elves for our kingdom. We have hidden for years deep in the frosty mountains. Our city is guarded by magic and holds a mysterious power. If evil were to overthrow the ruler alof Middle Earth would fall. Sauron wanted to take us down but decided foolishly to go after Gondor first. I'm glad he did. Would you like to go to our city? I suppose I owe you that much."

"Yes." Legolas was excited. "But tell me, who in earth are you?"

"I am Hanariel, Ice Maid of the North and the Flowerer of the Spring. Unfortunately the spring hasn't come to this land in many thousands of years and therefore I haven't been able to create green grass and flowers in the lands as I could."

Legolas understood why her eyes were leaf-green now. They were to give hope to those in this icy place.

"That is astonishing, m'lady." said Legolas. "I now believe in Snow Elves. I am an elf of Mirkwood myself."

"Ah! Mirkwood, place of beauty," she said. "Perhaps you could bring some of its spring here."

"Maybe. But I must heal first. Please, please take me to a healer." Legolas begged. "Make haste."

"You are healed."

"I am?" He asked.

"Yes." She sniffed.

Legolas frowned. "You?"

"Yes. I have certain powers like the Power of Healing."

Legolas stared at her. Her hair was snow white with bluish streaks running through it like a freezing stream in the middle of winter, contrasting greatly with her eyes. Pale skin gave her face a divine look. She was lovely, even for an elf, Legolas would admit. But beauty isn't always kind, now is it? And Legolas refused to trust her.

"Take me to your city." he ordered

"Of course, my prince." She sneered.

"How did you know I was the prince?"

"I have my ways." And her eyes bore into his.

Legolas was annoyed. "And how was such a lovely lady taken by orcs?" he spitefully asked.

Her smile faded. "I was patrolling the borders when my guards were killed by orcs. I tried to hold them off but they were too many and they tied me up and tried to force me to tell the location of my hidden city. I wouldn't say so they started to take me to their leader, laughing at me all the way. They said they'd rape me if I didn't tell them and that's where you came in."


	5. Chapter five

Someone please r&r! I'm disparate!

Hanariel took Legolas and Arod across the mountains for several days until they came to a clearing in the hills. Legolas couldn't belive his eyes when he saw what he did, a white city that was even more beautiful than Minas Tirith in Gondor. It had towers higher than mountains and a stone wall surrounding it.

"Usually you can't see it at all," Hanariel said.

Legolas gasped. "You can't? Why not?" His blue eyes darted nervous around.

"Magic," she explained.

"Oh." Legolas looked skeptically around.

"Let's go into the city. It is called Eritlen, Refuge of Light. I work for the ruler."

"Do all of your kind look like you do? I mean with the white and blue hair?"

Skeptically raising her eyebrow, she said, "Of course. We all look rather similar. Don't your kind?"

Legolas shrugged. "Yes, we do. But we look more common place."

With a laugh Hanariel said, "What is common for you might not be common for me."

Arod snorted in agreement and Legolas smiled at this wisdom. "True."

Later that day they were allowed access to the great city. Elves there were all beautiful there with white hair and blue highlights. Their blue eyes pierced Legolas as he walked through because they were unused to seeing an elf such as himself with long blonde hair and sky blue eyes. Hanariel led the prince up to the top layer of the city which was set up rather like Gondor's with the throne room at the top.

Hanariel dropped him off at a room. "Here is your room for the night, Prince Legolas. I shall tell the king of your coming. Good night. Take rest. I shall see to Arod."

Legolas nodded and studied the room. It was covered in blue paint and had a white bed in the middle. A snowflake decorated vanity was by the bathroom and a soft blue set of drawers was on the other side of the room. It was beautiful. He took a bath and went right to sleep, sound and happy.

Hanariel reflected on her visitor as she went to her own room. He was not bad looking for an elf from Mirkwood, she decided but he did save her life so she owed him big time. She would take him to the king but first she must change. Washing herself, she braided up her long hair and made a half pony tail on the top. Her dirty pants were taken away and she put on a long snow white dress with crystal embroidery on the sleeves and hem in the pattern of snow flakes and tundra animals. Last of all she put on a crystal crown that covered her head, a symbol of elven royalty. She sighed, went down the hall, and entered the king's room.

The king smiled at her. He was an old man with snow white hair and pale cheeks and sat upon his throne with an air of sadness but that vanished once Hanariel entered the room. "My lady, how are you?" he cried. "What happned to you?"

"I was captured by snow orcs. I am so sorry, father! My escort couldn't fight them off and I was taken. They tried to get me to tell the location of the city and nearly raped me when I didn't but the Prince of Mirkwood rescued me." She said.

"Hanariel!" the king was unhappy about this. "That is it! No more traveling alone in the wilderness. A lady like you shouldn't be doing so."

"yes, father," she pretend to agree.

The king changed the subject. "So Legolas of Mirkwood rescued you, eh?? He must have a damn good reason for coming up this way." And he laughed long. "Does he know you are a princess?"

"No father. I shall not tell him."

"Very well. Go fetch him."

"Yes, father."


	6. Chapter six

Disclaimer: I don't own Lord of the rings, Tolkien does

Sry its been so long since my last update. Thanx to my reviers! :) I hope this chappie isn't to bad because I kind of rushed thru it. Hope the next one is better. I know this plotlineis a bit overused but please just read! i'll do better next time

"You have such a nice home." Legolas told the king. "Eritlen is gorgeous. And to think the elves of MIrkwood don't know of its existance. We think it is but a mere fairytale."

"Thank you, my boy. I once met your father Thrandiul long ago, you know. Now how about some tea?" he asked.

"Yes, please." the prince politely said.

Hanariel poured the green tea and Legolas stared at her and recognized her.

"I didn't know you where here Hanariel!" he cried, his blue eyes shining. "So you ride out and scout for the king and serve him tea as well, eh?" He thought this was funny and laughed.

Sighing she said, "yes. How are you doing, my lord?" She was noticeably politer than she had been before; probably because she was with the king only.

"Fine." His eyes roamed over her lovly dress and fixed hair but it was then he noticed something unusual: her crown, a mark of elven royals. What in the world would a mere servant be doing with that?"Uhm, Hanariel?" he asked as she poured the king's tea and offered them both some sugar.

"Yes, my lord Greenleaf?"Her voice asked, masking sarcasm. It was clear she didn't like him still. curious that the king didnt notice her rudness.

"You are wearing a crown. May I ask why?" Legolas studied her curiously.

Freezing in her tracks the she-elf started. "Oh, that's just....just my uh..."

The king whose name is Galrient smiled "Just tell the boy," he told his daughter as he tried to hide a smile.

"Tell me what?" Legolas was dying to know. And Hanariel scowled but said "I am the daughter of the king."

"WHAT?" Legolas started for her. But Hanariel ran out of the room in tears, angry that he knew now who she really was, leaving Galrient and Legolas to look after her in confusment.


End file.
